Thursday, June 02, 2016

We went on a tour of three local gardens a week ago and all of us were talking about how dry it was for May. I said I'd been hauling around watering cans to keep my new plants hydrated but I was about to drag out the hoses and get serious.

Rain was forecast and, indeed, we'd had a shower earlier that day. But for the last week, most storms have bypassed us or just dropped a drizzle or two. I woke up in the middle of the night Wednesday to the sound of a nice steady rain — that amounted to just under half an inch when I checked the gauge in the morning.

That's how it's been: almost daily showers but usually only about a quarter of an inch or so of rain. Turns out when I added up the ten amounts we'd received over the last eight days, it was a substantial total: 2.23 inches. Everything looks beautiful the morning after a shower and weeding in preparation for next week's tour of our garden is soooo much easier after rain.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Heavy rain and wind last night and on and off today, with another storm blowing in as I write. They will definitely spell the end of this swath of iris which as been an spot of electric color visible from the living room windows all week.

We planted the ajuga to be a flowing line of blue across the edge of the deck and the pond where it would meet up with this little iris. But ajuga has a mind of its own; the area where it was originally planted is bare while it keeps appearing further and further away. These days it's edging the waterful, mimicking the motion of the stream.

Friday, September 23, 2011

When garden blogger Daniel Mount was recently in Madison looking at potential gardens for a tour by folks from the Pacific Northwest, one of those we visited was the home garden of Jeff Epping, hort director at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison. Seeing Jeff's dozens of garden pots of every size and type — all filled with marvelous plant combinations — inspired me to go home and do something!

First I went looking for a large shallow pot that could hold a group of dwarf evergreens. Amazingly enough I found one locally at the Bruce Company. And it looks like it was made to go with our other large outdoor pots made by Wisconsin artists. I planted this low one with things I already had on hand that were waiting for permanent homes in the garden. I also added a couple of small rocks and two self-seeded white pines. And then mulched it with white pine needles.

On the other side of the deck, I gathered plants that were scattered around the garden (in and out of the ground!), put them in pots and grouped them around the Buddha for emphasis. Not perfect but not bad, considering it was very late in the season to being doing this kind of display.

Plants in the display include three varieties of Begonias, herbs, and ornamental cabbages that can take the cooler fall temps.

But the recent frost warnings made me bring everything into the garage for a few days until the overnight temperatures started to rise again. The truth is that many of these plants are going to have to permanently move indoors for the winter any day now. I admit that my containers are a far cry from those at Olbrich, but it's been a fun experiment and certainly has inspired me to give containers more thought in the future.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Our relentlessly hot sunny weather has made the bright center of our garden — the pond and its water plants — shine. White, yellow and the interloping pink lilies are all at their peak. The flowers are all fairly similiar; it's the leaves that are more distinctive. The white lilies have very large leaves while the yellow ones have wonderfully mottled leaves on both the tops and undersides. And Mark's new telephoto lens finally let us see what these beautiful flowers look like on the inside. Since they bloom in the middle of the pond we have always viewed them — and snapped pix — from too far away to get a good look at the interiors. The same with the inside of the screaming yellow Nuphar. The heat and lack of rain has also made the pond water cloudy, which happily makes it more reflective!

Monday, November 08, 2010

The forecast is sunny with temps in the low 60 degrees; just about as good as it gets in November in the upper Midwest. That means Mark will spend today cleaning out the pond of all the accumulated gunk in the bottom and trimming back the dying leaves of all the pond plants to prepare everything for the winter. The first step is to empty the pond and put the water plants in a stock tank filled with water so they don't dry out. The fish go in here, too, while the pond is drained.

Mark gets right in the pond — dressed in warm clothes, fishing waders and rubber gloves up to his elbows — and scoops out buckets full of muck which he hands off to a friend who has helped him with this task many times over the years. I'm willing to help but don't have the strength needed to lift the heavy buckets. Lastly the pond is refilled with fresh water and Mark adds a stock tank heater and an aerator to keep an opening in the ice that will form as it gets colder.

The decorative stoneware pots have all been emptied of rain-water and debris and most have been put in the tea house for the winter. My job is to decided which — if any — we want to bring indoors. Once there is snow on the ground it will be too dangerous to navigate the buried paths and rocks to walk up to the teahouse should we suddenly want a favorite pot indoors.

It is really a little early to clean the pond because not all the leaves have come down. The paperbark maple is still fully leafed out and just finally turned a glorious red, matching the Bloodgood maple that mirrors it across the pond. Both apple trees still have leaves as does the Acer dissectum which is currently a glowing ochre with undertones of orange and cerise. But we're worried it will snow if we wait much longer — which is what happened last year, and we never got the pond cleaned out.

On the other hand, we may have warmish weather for quite a while judging by my small, shrubby lilac which threw out a single big bloom not long ago. And the witch hazel has never looked so good. It's finally lost its leaves letting the flowers have their moment to shine.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Ever since I published James Godsil's wonderful tomato poem last fall, I've been on the receiving end of his e-mails. They come fast and furious, filled with ideas and enthusiasm. Godsil's current project is Sweet Water Organics in Milwaukee, a group of urban fish farmers and veggie growers, whose aim is to revolutionize commercial food production. You can visually follow the Sweet Water story with Godsil's flickr set.

SWEET WATER ORGANICS PHOTO

Now Godsil wants your old watering can. Of course, it needs to be in working condition. In fact, Godsil sent out this poetic e-request for cans, along with suggested payment options. If I lived in Milwaukee, I'd take him up on his offer:

Deviations from perfection in the workmanship of contemporary hosesAs well as in the social practice of Sweet Water workersHas given rise to a serious hose shortage and the notion thatPerhaps watering cans might be better for life's advance than hoses!

Sweet Water Organics is actually an attempt to take Will Allen's methods to a commercial — rather than a non-profit — level. Allen has long labored in the service of urban agriculture in Milwaukee, believing that many of the health problems of the urban poor stem from the lack of food choices, especially fresh produce.

The mission statement of Allen's organization — Growing Power, Inc. — says its role is "inspiring communities to build sustainable food systems that are equitable and ecologically sound, creating a just world, one food-secure community at a time." A great concept, but even better is the fact that Allen's talent and efforts were rewarded in 2008 with a MacArthur "genius" grant.

Come hear Will Allen talk about Growing Power and more at 6 p.m. this Thursday, Sept. 17 at the Evjue Community Room at the Goodman Community Center, 149 Waubesa St., Madison. Allen's appearance is a warm-up for next month's Wisconsin Book Festival where another "farmer-hero," Wendell Berry, will be the keynote speaker on Sunday, Oct. 11. Both events are free.

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

I clearly remember one of the first Christmas celebrations I spent with my husband's family when we all gathered at my sister-in-law's house. I'd already been to her house for summer picnics but her interior decor looked like it came straight out of a holiday magazine: It was picture-perfect.

I was particularly smitten with the tiny trees she had in every room; all of them decorated in different themes that reflected her interests and those of her husband. I loved the idea but it was just too-labor intensive a concept for me: decorating all those little trees each year.

But this is a woman who has a white couch so I figured she was up to the task. We, on the other hand, walk directly from working in our garden into the living room where you will often find work boots and tools under the furniture.

So I gave up on my fantasy of tiny trees at my house — until I discovered she stored them completely decorated and just pulled them out of the basement and popped them into place in December. And thus were born my own little trees, including the one below. This is my paean to the garden: it's covered with tiny garden tools, baskets, traditional clay pots, garden hats, and miniature watering cans. It's finished off with straw ornaments — the requisite Scandinavian touch for anyone living in Wisconsin.

My garden-themed tree is about 33 inches tall to the top of the Annabelle hydrangea blossom.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

The rather charming watering can pictured below is French,
circa 1870. The clock on the wall above it is a decade earlier. And both are residing in a 17th century cottage in West Sussex that was the subject
of a profile in World of Interiors magazine in October, 2005.

Carol offered “melon” as the replacement for “vessel,” or
body of the can, but her idea took a few hits from the comment gallery. This
picture, however, shows that melon is more than apt and Carol clearly knew
whereof she spoke.

Cans by country (from left): American design, French style, German and the unequaled U.K. Haws can.

I did not even know about the census until Sunday evening, November 16; though that, of course, implies no criticism of yourself. By the time I was made aware of this vital undertaking, it was cold and dark (well, actually it seems to be cold pretty much all the time now) and said survey would be difficult, if not actually dangerous, to conduct under said conditions.

Watering can round-up has occurred at this location, so I am assuming all cans — no matter their size or condition — have now been brought indoors for the winter. But I would need to check the garden to be sure that is a correct statement and wandering around my garden is not something one does in the dark no matter the season.

Rounding up my cans as the snow starts to fly.

In the new spirit of international friendship that has been in the air since our recent election, I will be including English, French and German watering cans in my survey along with my patriotic American cans. It should not really be necessary to mention it, but I will also point out that all of my watering cans, regardless of age or national origin, are working cans and have no serious holes or leaks. Though a close inspection may reveal rust and the slings and arrows of fortune.

The majority of these cans have been purchased in person at florists, garden shops, and antique stores — most in my home state, if not home town. Exceptions include the red Haws can (Smith & Hawken mail-order) and the green can from Portugal (via the now-defunct Gardener's Eden catalog). While these cans are attractive and make great Christmas decorations filled with evergreen branches, they do have a serious defect which must be pointed out to you and the Society at large. A high percentage of painted cans peel. I admit that I have learned my lesson and now only use galvanized cans.

The cans are herded through cold and snow to dry ground.

I must also note that a pair of Haws long-reach, professional outdoor watering cans with brass roses are the most beautiful objects ever created for a gardener to use. In fact, in my personal estimation, they leave hoes in the dust. The design, patented in 1886, makes the cans perfectly balanced for carrying and, if you carry a pair, then the gardener is perfectly balanced as well.

My matched set of two-gallon Haws cans were purchased in the Smith & Hawken shop in NYC on my 10th wedding anniversary. It was obvious to me at the time that my marriage would be going strong long after S&H ceased to carry this prime piece of garden equipment — which has proven to be the case.

Madam president, my final watering can total as of November 18, 2008 is tallied below:

One small galvanized house-plant can (usually forget I own it and use empty milk jugs).

A pair of two-gallon Haws long-reach galvanized cans, both with brass oval roses.

Two American cans of unknown provenance (rather more homogenous than I anticipated when I began my survey).

And last, but most definitely, not least:

These hand-painted gardening gloves are the perfect thing to wear when you're carrying a watering can out in public.

My silver leather watering can handbag was purchased at Bachman's in the Twin Cities during a Region V GWA tour. Note that it could hold water but I prefer it to hold all the essentials usually associated with a handbag. This will be the only watering can I'll be using until next Spring.

The total is an even dozen watering cans, counting my purse. I should also point out that the two large Haws cans and the large German can are used more than any other. They spend most of the summer out-of-doors at the ready.